Elevating device for car doors



Dec. 25, 1934. CA I U'T ET AL 1,985,867

ELEVATING DEVICE FOR CAR DOORS Filed June l, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l I I l I Il@ IMI i l n 1l- 1 l I ECE?? b I IVI I 'I C@ I I I 1 s I i 1 I I I. I i; I G I Il l II I I I I `I s l w `i w N 0 u 'n o 0U I I l YI n) I N I n 'I I I I I i I I I l I I I I i I I n Q I I @y Mm Dec. 25, 1934. C 'LUTE ETAL 1,985,867

ELEVATING DEVICE FOR CAR DOORS Filed June l, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec.` 25, 1934 Um-'PED` `srianai;s1 PATENT OFFICE a l""133536711 a, Y j H l f ELEvA'rING DEvIoE A Fon` CAB-` DOORS Carl Lute, Hammond,lnd.,`"andKenneth J.".lobin,v`

Chicago Ill.,"'as's ignors"-to Camel Company, l: Y Chicago,glll.,acorporation of Illinois IApplication.nine 1.51931, serainolslmn sfo'laiis". z(C116-t9) l invention relatesy to carV doors 'andfconcerns itself primarily with an elevating `device for such doors. i f f jIt is"k an object of this invention to provide an elevating device for car doors adapted to lift said doors fromf their normalv frictional engagement upon a `supporting-surface and transfer the Weight of said doors" to rolling means for movement toward open andclosed positions with a minimum of effort. U

A further object isthe provision of an elevating device for cardoors embodying a two-part hanger assembly'arranged for relative sliding movement to permitelevation of the doors, one

" of said parts serving as a fulcrum in such elevation. Y f A Another Aobject is the provision ofl hangers for car doors permittingready'removal of said doors from the car without disturbingthe supporting track or track brackets.` a Y v It is an4 object, also, to provide a lifting device for car doors' including hanger assemblies com-v` prising parts adapted to have relativevertical movement "and provided with means `to limit such movement; l Y f of a hanger assembly adapted for use in a door elevating device whereby partsof said"assembly are retained Vagainst rseparation or loss during Shipment. 1 y A'. A'further object isthe provisionof a ,doorele-v vating. device employing` hangers :which insure substantially the saine elevation of both sides of the door.' I If y a f` 'j It is ,anf object,`Y moreover, to provide j'a door. elevating device `utilizing an operating lever and bracket meansv for mounting said leveiupon the door, the bracket means being Iso constructed that the door may be 'elevated even Vthough said lever beibroken.` .f 'Y

Other objects vwill become apparent'as the de` scription ofthe invention proceeds.` l

In the accompanying drawings i Figure 1 is` a fragmentary elevation of a door with' the lift device-of the invention appliedthereto. f y; A l

Figure 2 isa horizontal section taken on line 2--2 ofligurel.A i

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-f3 of Figure 1, the door being in` lowered position. Figure 4" is a view similar to Figure 3, the door'beingin elevated position. Figure 5, isa vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1, parts being renicved to more object,l as well; comprises thefprovision clearly show the portionofthe elevating. device illustrated. y f j `In the drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, the numeral designates a portion of a housecar to which a track 11 is secured'by meansof a plurality of brackets 12, one rof which,` is shown in part in Figures 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings.` VThe track 11 is adapted to. support the door 10a when the latter is 'inits lowered or normal position. @The engagement between the door and the track pro-.-` vides great frictional resistance toward the move-.- mentofth'e'door.; L i. f ,V

Secured ,to the door adjacent the lower 'cor' ners thereof is a plurality of hangers 13 and 14. Each of these hangers, as more clearly illustrated in Figures 2 `to 4,Linclusive, comprises a bracket 15 rigidlyvsecured' to the' door by` means of rivets 16 and a roller retaining `member` 117 slidably mountedfor relative vertical movement with regard to the bracket 15. .The roller retaining member 17 is maintained in proper. position relative to thefdoor and `its correspondingbracket by means of the inturned'flanges 18 and 19, formed on said bracket. `A roller 20 is rotatably mounted in each of the members 17 by means ofa pin or axle 21. `The roller retaining member 17 is provided, additionally,` with a pair` Iof fingers 22 and `23,.extending upwardly` therefrom and toward the door for a purpose hereinafter set forth. The lower portion of said roller retaining member isprovided adjacent Vthe track 11 with anfoutwardly inclined flange 24. Secured to this fiange is Aa plate member 25,` extending upwardly and inwardly toward the car and overlapping a [downwardly presented fiange 26 formed` on the track.` `It is'observed that the roller 20 is mounted in the roller retaining member 17, preferably in engagement with'the supporting track as clearly shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. j

The. adjacent sides of. the` brackets of the hangers 131and 14 are providedlwith aligned openings 27, theseopenings being'somewhat irregular incontourfor a'purpose which will appear hereinafter. Extending throughthese openings is an operating bar designated gener-` allylfby the numeral 28. The operating bar comfprisesa length of pipe `29 and secured to the opposite ends of the pipe, asby rivets, is a plurality "of castings 30 andl. Each. of these castings is 'provided with a Ylug 32 having a contour clearly indicated inFigures 3 and 4 of the draw` ings and positioned, when the door is in its normal or lowered position, in contact with the roller retaining member 17. The openings .27 formed in the brackets of the hanger members 13 and 14 are substantially the same contour as the lugs 32 in order to permit their insertion through the brackets into operative engagement with the roller retaining members. y

Secured to the door intermediate the hangers 13 and 14, is a bracket member 33. This bracket member is .provided vwith a boss .34 upon which is pivotally supported an .operating lever 35. Adjacent the boss is a iiange 36. The bracket is provided with outwardly extending flanges -37 and 38, so shaped as to provide bearings 39 and 40 in which the operating bar28'is6fiournaled. It should be observed that .the-operating-- bar is also journaled in the Aopenings provided. .in

the hangers. The bracket 'is provided, :addition-vv ally, substantially centrally thereof, with a shoulder 41 and secured to thebar in alignment with said shoulder is a cam 42 with which the operating lever 35 is adapted to co-act in order toproduce.4 rotation of lthefnperating bar..

In the normal or lowered position of the door, asrillustrated. vinigurefil ofthe drawings frictional engagement vbetween thedoor `and the track isV established .order to avoidnndue movement lof the door in either direction.V When it is desired to'move .the door toward open or closed position `a downward pull is exertedl upon the operating lever This downward .movement of vtlielevier is communicated to `the operating bar 2S through the. medium of the kcam 42 mounted upon said .operating bar and imposes a movement of rotation to .said bar.V During' the .rotation of the. o perating bar the lugs 32will fulcrum upon the roller retaining members `1"? and through the action-of the operating rod .upon the brackets ofthe Vhangers 13 and 14 the door will be elevated andV its'weight transferred from the track directly to the rollers 20. The Velevation .of the .door is permitted because ofthe .relative vertically sliding relationship between the bracketsoithe hangers. and the roller retaining members ofsaid hangers. The elevation ofi the door is limited, however, by engagement between the inturnedl fingers provided on the roller retaining members and the. operating bar. i' In .addition Ato this function, these .ngers prevent disengagement of the Vroller retaining member from its corresponding bracket during shipment and, moreover, thesef-ngers insure elevationv of both sides of the doorto substantially v.the same extent. Itis apparent if one side vof the.l door should be elevated more quickly thanthe opposite side of the door, that engagementbetween the fingers on one of ithe roller retaining members. will limit the movement of themore quickly elevating side of the door and that elevation `of the opposite side of the door will continue-.until its limit is reached.

By the constructicncf the bracketupon which the operating lever. Vis mountedcertain difculties which may occur Lin actual practice are anticipatedl and. vprovided for. Should the operating lever become. broken or lost a separate lever maybe inserted under theboss and by this means a force applied Ato the cam secured to the operat- .ing barin'order to effect. elevation :of they door.

lthe bracket in alignment 4with the cam 42, to insert a separate lever under the shoulder and exert a downward force. upon Vthe cam in order to elevate the door. f

It is possible,

The two-piece construction of the roller retaining member to eiect engagement with the track provides for ready and rapid removal of the door from the track for repairs or replacement. It is apparent that where the plate member 25 is incorporated as an integral part of the hanger construction it is impossible, particularly ,in .the instance of the auxiliary door of a double door automobile application, to remove said door without removal of the track. By the construction of this invention, however, it is only necessary to remove the rivets which secure the plate membery to ,the hanger in order to permit removal of .the door. The lower portion of the rollerre'taining. member is inclined outwardly so that the connectingwrivets between said portion and the plate may more readily be driven and also more readily removed.

This invention is intended to comprehend within its purview all modiiications and changes which'A :fallwithin vthe scopeof the Vappended claimsf- We claim: Y

l.l in combination, a track, va sliding door adapted to have friction-a1 engagement with said track, a pair of spaced hangers, each of said hangersincluding a bracket secured tov said door and a member slidable vertically relative thereto, .a roller rotatably secured to each of said members in engagement with said track, a rotatable operating bar ,journaled in said brackets, lugs provided on said bar in engagement with said members and means for rotating said bar whereby 'said .lugs will fulcrumupon said members t0 elevate the door, saidV members being provided with means overlapping said bar and engageable therewith'. i

2.1n combination, a track, a sliding door adapted to have frictional engagement with said track, a pair of spacedhangers, each of said hangers including `a bracket secured to said door anda member slidable vertically relative thereto, a `roller rotatably securedto each of, said membersinengagement withsaid track, arotatable operating bar journaled in said brackets, lugs `.provided on said bar. inv engagement with said members and means for rotating said bar whereby saidk lugs will fulcrum upon saidmembers `to elevate the door, said .members being prov vided with fingers overlapping saidV operating barand engageable therewith to limit the elevation of said door.

3.111 combination, a track, a sliding door adapted to have frictional engagement with said track, apair of spaced hangers, each of said hangers including a bracket secured to said door and a member slidable vertically relative thereto, a roller rotatably secured to each of said members in engagement with said track, a rotatable operating bar journaled in said brackets, lugs `provided von said bar in engagement Vwith said members and means for rotating said bar whereby said lugs will fulcrum upon said members to yelevate the door, each of said members being provided with a pair of spaced fingers overlapping said operating bar, said lugs lying between said Vngers. A

f 4. A door Yhanger comprising a roller supporting member, a roller rotatablycarriedf'by said member, a bracket member adapted to be secured to a door, said bracket member engaging and retaining said roller supporting member for vertical movement relative to the door, said roller supporting member being provided with a depending portionv having a downwardly and out- `relationship to saiddependi'ng portion, for the purpose set forth.`

5. In combination, a sliding door, `a. track positioned below said Vdoor comprising an angular member having a substantially vertically depending flange and a plurality` of spaced hangers secured to the bottom of and supporting said door for sliding movement upon said track, each of said hangers including a ange positioned outwardly o1' said track flange having a vertical portion and an outwardly inclined portion lying below said track ange, a separate flange, means securing said separate iiange to said outwardly inclined portion, said track flange being received between said `separate ange and said vertical portion of said hanger ilange, whereby said securing means and said flange may be removed to obtain removal of said door from said track.

CARL LUTE. KENNETH J. TOBIN. 

